homey_bird - yeah, these forums rock! But, so many people have helped me here on Kitchens, as well as on Appliance, Laundry, etc. I'm even on SLF most every night, just to vent. I have pointed so many to GW and even many pros take what we have to say very seriously. I was just tickled to see the exact kitchen you were looking for right after I read this post. One thing - follow Marge's advice. I can't tell you the number of samples I have in every spare place in my house. Everytime I saw something that would work, I brought it home and OMG, it was the worst thing I'd chosen so far. I even took a piece of my cabinet with me to the stone yard, and that still didn't work. A lot has to do with lighting, even that from the sun at different times of the day. The fabricator I'm working with now offers 1ft square samples and that has made it a lot easier. I stayed with with because of that and other details they provide, even though they ended up being higher than others I spoken with. I've worn out my welcome with most of my family and friends, but it will be worth it soon. My install is next Friday!!! good luck on your kitchen.

Okak, Thanks. My cabinets were custom built and the quality turned out to be fantastic. I don't know where you live, but I am in Florida and used Roger Romero (Roger's Cabinets). His phone number is (954) 584-9876. He is truly a master craftsman who takes pride in his work and customer service. It took him 12 weeks to build it all by hand and custom stain it, layering on coat by coat until we found just the right one for us. His price was not more than any other kitchen place who orders cabinets from manufacturers like Thomasville, etc. I wish other Floridians come across this post and give him a call. You won't be sorry. Tell him Susan from Coral Springs sent you!

I REALLY wish GW had better search features - like, a lot of people here know your kitchen plans, while others (like me), don't. Sorry. It sounds like you live on a farm and want a country kitchen. Well, I'm from the Northeast - and Soapstone has been used here - in farmhouses - for CENTURIES! Ditto wide plank pine floors. That being said, if you are going with dark cabinets, it may be too dark for your tastes. Personally, I LOVE retro tiled countertops, but a LOT of people hate them because grime gets in the grout. If you go with tile make sure NOT to use white grout - impossible to keep clean (even if sealed). I love wood counters too, but still I would never put them next to a sink or stove - I really want to be able to put a hot pot on my counter without needing a trivet. And, well, even though I am obsessed with Tung Oil, and yes, it has been used for centuries to waterproof boats, it will need to be re-applied too often if wet dishes are left on it - therefore it is more work than I intend to do in my new kitchen. My main countertops will be soapstone or concrete simply because they require the LEAST amount of maintenance in the long run and only get better with age and wear. If you like gray but soapstone is too dark, ordinary gray Portland Cement (no color added) works, but it is more modern. Ground / wet-sanded to a fine polish and dirt won't get stuck in the pores. I'm not even planning on sealing mine if I go that route - why bother - I have no intention of re-sealing it at a later date. And hey, if sidewalks aren't sealed and I'm not planning on walking with muddy boots on my counter, any "dirt" will only add to the patina! I also LOVE stainless counters with integrated sinks - but they are expensive. My Grandmother had this as the countertop on the sink side of her kitchen and butcherblock everywhere else - it was a VERY country kitchen with pine cabinets and brick floors and it worked! This is by far the LEAST maintenance countertop choice. I'm going to have to compare costs of this vs. soapstone with a sink cut-out - it might just work out to be the same cost, but I already have a lot of stainless, so it will probably feel too cold in my kitchen. If I go with charcoal grey base cabs, maybe, if I go with stainless base cabs, no way! As for sinks, do yourself a favor and get a big DEEP sink! But fireclay or porcelain enamel over cast iron is NOT the best choice - chips too easily. I actually have a giant antique Art Deco double-bowl sink with a drainboard that clips over either bowl; one bowl is 8" deep, the other is 15" deep - but I really don't want to put it in the new kitchen because it already has a couple nicks in it and I don't want to have to worry and carfeully "place" my dirty pots and pans in it. I think I'll just buy a big stainless farmhouse sink instead and not worry about ruining the finish.

NewSouth: I think this is a really hard decision. Trust is the biggest factor, I think. It's part of the comfort-picture too. I went with a KD who I didn't really like much and didn't make me terribly comofortable. But she worked for someone who did and who sweetened the deal tremendously with price and his own attractiveness. As I figured, he has been hugely helpful in ensuring things stay on track. But she has been really a problem all along. However she was part of the deal. DH seems to think part of the tacit agreement was that I train her! I bet she would be massively offended to hear this. So the answer of who to choose has to depend on what you want from the KD. If you want hand-holding, then obviously you need someone who will 'remain with you' to hold your hand through the entire process. If you want imagination, then you've already made your choice. If you want no-drama; enabling of your own plan cleanly and professionally, then you've outlined who to choose for that priority too. But if your hesitation reflects that you haven't yet described a KD who fulfills what you're needing, then you do need to go interview another. Are you looking for someone who can identify and fill in gaps in what it is you've already done? Perhaps there isn't enough spark among the two you've mentioned already to do this. That's a personal call. It depends also on how much more time you want to devote to this; you've already said you're impatient to get going. And if you mostly need the KD simply to formalize your plans, then another interview might just wind you up with 3 to choose between equally unclearly. I think at this juncture you have to get smart in asking yourself good questions: what do I need now? Who/what can fill that need? Have I a possibility yet or do I need to generate more choices? Don't get impatient or panicked yet before you need to -- spring is a long way away yet. Try to calm down your agitation enough to get a good, clear signal of what it is you're needing; then you can proceed with answering the question of who to choose. Feel free to jettison the suggestions of course!